CIC Increases Federal Skilled Worker Levels for 2012

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced that Canada will accept more immigrants in the Federal Skilled Worker permanent residence application category in 2012 than in the 2011 Immigration Levels Plan. Underscoring the importance of this economic class category, the 2012 figure is set at 55,000 to 57,000 Federal Skilled Workers, an increase from 47,000 to 47,400 in the 2011 Immigration Levels Plan.

Each year Canada welcomes approximately 250,000 permanent immigrants, who qualify among the various immigration application categories. One of the more difficult decisions that must be made each year by the government, which has been reluctant to increase overall immigration above approximately 250,000 permanent immigrants each year, is the distribution of these 250,000 visas among all of the various permanent residence application categories. The categories are, generally speaking, “economic class” categories (which include Federal Skilled Workers, the Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominees), and the “family class” categories, which include sponsorships of spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, parents and grand-parents. The government faces a difficult role each year in trying to get the balance “just right” between economic and family classes, and within the various sub-categories within these general classes.

As Minister Kenney announced:

The government’s number one priority remains the economy. We recognize the importance of immigration to our labour market and we value the contributions of skilled immigrants who add to our international competitiveness, said Minister Kenney. We are committed to facilitating the arrival of the best and the brightest to our country.